The MG3 or Machinengewehr Modell 3 is one of the world’s most successful machine guns
and is still in production and widespread use for more than 60 years after it was first
employed.
This General-Purpose Machine Gun is a German-made machine gun from the early of Cold War era.
It entered service in 1968 under the Rheinmetall brand and is essentially an adaptation of
the MG42 machine gun, which was widely employed by Na-zi Germany during World War II.
The MG3 is simply an MG42 converted to 7.62x51mm NATO round.
Thus, its layout resembles the MG42.
While the early versions were just conversions, the subsequent versions include a number of
small enhancements in some areas.
In terms of the design, the MG3 features a unique ”fishtail” shaped buttstock with
a curved inward buttplate, the top of which extends rearward to lay atop the user’s
shoulder.
The receiver portion of MG3 is rectangular, with a distinguishing long, shallow gradient
on the cover section that slopes toward the buttstock.
It is hinged in front, and the entire receiver cover opens for loading.
The MG3 weapon is fed by a belt that swings freely from the left to the right.
This belt is a feed block with metal, 50-round continuous-link Patronengurt DM1 ammo belt,
which can be mixed by cartridge or disintegrating-link M13 or DM6 belt.
When the MG3 is deployed as the light machine gun, a 100-round or 120-round belt is inserted
within a synthetic ammo drum created by Heckler & Koch.
The translucent back wall of the drum acts as a visual indicator of the amount of ammo
available.
The feed system is controlled by a feed arm contained in the feed cover.
An intermediate link connects two feed pawls to the front end of the arm and allows them
to travel in opposing directions, moving the belt in two phases as the bolt swings back
and forth during firing.
As a belt-fed, air-cooled, short recoil-operated automatic firearm, the MG3 features an automatic-only
trigger mechanism and a cross-bolt safety in the shape of a button that is controlled
by the shooting hand.
Its This roller-locked bolt mechanism includes the bolt head, a pair of rollers, the striker
sleeve, the bolt body, and the return spring.
The weapon discharges from an open bolt.
A wedge-shaped striker sleeve secures the bolt by forcing two cylindrical rollers included
in the bolt head forward and into corresponding grooves in the barrel’s extension of the
breech.
Both the barrel and the barrel extension recoil to the back when fired.
The ensuing impact pulls the carrier to the rear, releasing the wedge and both rollers
as fixed cams spring inward and out of their sockets, freeing the bolt head.
The bolt carrier and bolt are then directed to the rear by fixed guides, while the barrel
and barrel extension return to the battery.
When the bolt is returned forward, the action of the rollers against the camming surfaces
of the breech forces the rollers outward, locking the bolt head into the barrel extension
and assuring a full lock.
The bolt also incorporates a spring-loaded casing extractor and ejector.
Ejection occurs when the ejector impacts the buffer head, producing a push forward through
the ejector bar and striking the ejector pin.
This pin pulls the top of the cartridge’s base, which is still gripped by the extractor
at the base, forcing the empty casing to spin and eject downward into the ejection chute.
It is also important to note that the cyclic rate of MG3 can be changed by changing the
bolts and recoil springs.
A heavier bolt requires more recoil energy to overcome inertia, delaying the action.
There are two types of bolts available for MG3 machine guns: first, the regular weight
of approximately 22.93 oz for the standard 1,000-1,200 rounds per minute cyclic rate
of fire, and second, the additional weight of about 31.75 oz for a slower 800-950 rounds
per minute cyclic rate of fire.
Those bolts are also utilized in conjunction with various return springs.
Moreover, the square slotted forearm on MG3 is accessible on the right side to allow the
fast change barrel to be swapped.
The barrel is covered in a long, narrow, rectangular, and extensively ventilated coat, with a panel
on the right side that swings up to give access to the barrel.
The MG3 receiver housing and barrel shroud casing are both are stamped steel, while the
barrels are cold rolled steel.
The quick-change, chrome-lined barrel on MG3 with four right-hand grooves enables a rifling
twist rate of 1 in 305 mm.
Alternatively, polygonal rifling can be used on MG3 barrels.
The barrel is merged with the barrel breech.
A muzzle device is attached to the end of the barrel and serves as a flash suppressor,
muzzle brake, and recoil booster.
During prolonged shooting, the barrel should be changed on a regular basis.
The gun is loaded, and the barrel catch on the right side of the barrel shroud is swung
forward.
The breech end of the heated barrel swings out and can be removed by raising or rotating
the gun.
A new barrel is then placed via the barrel catch and muzzle bearing.
When the catch is cranked back, the barrel is locked, and the machine gun may restart
firing.
Aside from the barrel, chamber, and action, most MG3 components are interchangeable with
the MG42.
It is outfitted with a synthetic polymer stock and open iron sights with an open V-notch
sliding rear on a ramp at range settings of 200 to 1,200 m or 219 to 1,312 yards in 109-yard
increments.
This open-type iron sighting line, however, has a relatively short radius of 430 millimeters
and consists of a height adjustable front sight on a foldable post and a leaf rear sight.
There is also a flip-up anti-aircraft sight just in front of the standard rear sight element,
which is connected to the receiver top.
The MG3 can be fired from a bipod, a tripod, or as a pintle mounted or coaxial machine
gun.
However, for specifically use as a light machine gun, the MG3 is equipped with a foldable bipod.
On the other hand, in a fixed, heavy machine gun duty, the MG3 is placed on a buffered
Feldlafette or “field tripod” and is equipped with a periscope telescopic sight namely Zielfernrohr
4x24 for engaging indirect targets.
The direct fire periscope sight on the MG3 is placed atop the Feldlafette and is calibrated
in 109-yard increments from 0 to 1,750 yards or 0 to 1,600 meters.
The MG3 has shown great reliability and availability in German soldiers’ military tasks.
Besides being deployed as an infantry weapon on light bipods and various tripods, the MG3
is used as a primary weapon on light or non-armored vehicles, such as LKW 2to, MAN GL-trucks,
and ATF Dingo.
It is also as a standard secondary weapon on most modern German armored fighting vehicle
designs, including Leopard 2, Panzerehaubitze 2000, and Marder.
Furthermore, the MG3 has been proving to be reliable in many military missions in the
world.
These include several recent conflicts, such as the Iran-Iraq War, the Turkey-PKK conflict,
the Afghan War, and the Yemeni Civil War.
Currently, the MG3 is in operational in over 30 countries and has been built under license
by other companies across the globe other than Rheinmetall in Germany.
A new MG3 costs around $3,000 and it is believed to remain in use in some way in (till) 2059.
That’s all for today.
Thanks for watching and see you next time.